Three guilty in federal gun case

Six months after federal agents raided and shut down Elliot's Gun Shop in Old Jefferson, three defendants pleaded guilty Wednesday to participating in illegal schemes and shady business practices that law enforcement officials say helped fuel violent crime in the New Orleans area.

Timothy Harris, 53, and Hermann Eicke III, 64, appeared before U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements in respect to mandatory federal firearms license information, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office. Harris also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Letten said the guilty pleas mean the end of Elliot's Gun Shop, a store that had been one of the largest firearms dealers in the New Orleans area.

"That company is out of business. It's done. It's over. It will not resurface," Letten said.

Agents from the U.S. Secret Service, together with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, raided Elliot's in May, seizing 1,165 firearms, 131,000 rounds of ammunition and 26 boxes of records. At the time, ATF Special-Agent-in-Charge David Harper called Elliot's one of the country's top sources for firearms later recovered by law enforcement agencies.

The ATF traced about 2,300 firearms to Elliot's between March 1, 2002, and March 7, 2007. Of those guns, 127 were linked to murder investigations, and 517 were part of inquiries into drug-related crimes. More than 90 percent of the guns were recovered in Louisiana.

The Elliot's crew has admitted several shady dealings. Harris, the former owner of Elliot's, arranged for Eicke to apply for a federal firearms license after the ATF revoked his own, according to Letten. Under the arrangement, Eicke became the new "owner" of Elliot's on the official federal paperwork, though Harris actually ran the business. For that, Eicke was paid $1,000 a week and worked at the store, Letten has said.

Harris also indulged in a bit of identity theft. He used forged police credentials to buy guns from manufacturers, thus qualifying for a 20 percent law enforcement discount. Harris then sold the guns to civilians at regular prices, almost doubling his profit.

All three engaged in "straw sales" of firearms, Letten said. The trio either provided encouragement or looked the other way as legitimate buyers signed paperwork for guns that were destined for prohibited buyers, such as convicted felons.

Eicke faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Harris could be sentenced to up to 27 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Zitzmann could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

All three are scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 20.

The trio also forfeited $203,000, two pieces of real estate, a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, a 2006 Nautic Star boat and the store's inventory: more than 1,000 firearms.

Harper of the ATF said most of the guns will be destroyed. However, some will be put to use by other government agencies.

Agents also seized about 200 privately owned firearms that were at the store for repair or consignment at the time of the raid. So far, about 50 percent to 75 percent of those have been returned to owners. Anyone who has not yet retrieved a personal firearm seized during the raid on Elliot's can do so by contacting the ATF at (504)¤841-7000.

Michelle Hunter can be reached at mhunter@timespicayune.com or (504) 883-7054.